6515--CryoStar NX70 for Asheville VAMC

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, through the Network Contracting Office 6 in Hampton, VA, is soliciting the procurement of two CryoStar NX70 cryostats for use at the Asheville VAMC, with an expected delivery and performance period spanning one year from May 15, 2026, to May 14, 2027. This solicitation, identified as 36C24626Q0497, is issued under NAICS code 334516 for analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing and is structured as a commercial item procurement under FAR 52.212-4, with all proposals required to be submitted electronically to Kristine Woodbury, Contract Specialist, by 10:00 AM EST on May 11, 2026. The equipment must be CE-marked, certified for hygiene, and capable of maintaining a chamber temperature of -60°C with an automated microtome for precise tissue sectioning, adhering to Buy American and Trade Agreements Act requirements. The solicitation includes mandatory clauses addressing small business set-asides under deviations of FAR 52.219-6 and 52.219-14, as well as a specific set-aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses under 52.219-27, and requires compliance with DEI discrimination prohibitions, cybersecurity standards, and prohibitions on internal confidentiality agreements. Offerors must submit a technical management approach in a volume not exceeding 25 pages, detailing at least three years of direct experience with the CryoStar NX70 and completion of two similar contracts within the past three years, alongside past performance references evaluated for relevance, recency, and quality. Price submissions must be reasonable and aligned with technical approach, with award based on best value trade-off—not on lowest price technically acceptable—and no contract value has been disclosed as pricing fields remain blank. Delivery is FOB destination to Asheville, NC, with electronic invoicing required upon receipt through VA’s designated system, and payment will be processed via EFT through the VA Financial Services Center in Austin, TX. The contracting officer serves as both the administrative and technical point of contact, with no designated COR listed. Offerors must provide accurate UEI and CAGE codes, certify their socioeconomic status including potential SDVOSB, VOSB, or small business designation, and disclose ownership structure and any predecessor relationships,